Disposable surface roll

ABSTRACT

A ROLL STRUCTURE HAVING A PLURALITY OF REMOVABLE LAYERS CLOSELY FITTING OVER A RIGID CORE WITH MEANS FOR REMOVING THE OUTER LAYERS AS THEY BECOME ABRADED OR SOILED.

P 20, 1971 M. L. EDWARDS 3,605,230

DISPOSABLE SURFACE ROLL Filed ,April 7, 1969 Fig-2 Fg./ m a 24 INVIEN'IOR.

HEAT 4/0/30 10/9 A E wards SOURCE BY f y -bl Q'I'TORNIZYS United States Patent 3,605,230 DISPOSABLE SURFACE ROLL Mary L. Edwards, 201 Brookside Way, Greenville, S.C. 29605 Filed Apr. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 813,988

Int. Cl. 1321b 31/08 US. Cl. 29-130 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roll structure having a plurality of removable layers closely fitting over a rigid core with means for removing the outer layers as they become abraded or soiled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rotatable rolls have applications in many industries, particularly, in high-speed production involving web material wherein, the web must be transferred or subjected to a work treatment as it is continuously fed along a path. The present invention has applications in many environments, "but is particularly useful in the paper making and textile industry, and will be described for that use.

The present invention relates to a roll which carries a traveling web or coacts with another roll for providing the application of pressure to another web, wherein the" roll, after a period of time, becomes abraded or soiled, or in some manner is subjected to a deleterious environment so that the surface has to be refinished. The present invention contemplates providing a structure wherein refinishing can be accomplished rapidly and almost instantaneously by removing the abraded outer surface, and presenting to the work product, or to the material supported, a fresh surface which is clean and which has the surface characteristics needed.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved roll structure for use in treating or carrying a traveling web, wherein, the outer surface can be maintained in substantially optimum condition at all times without requiring extensive stoppage of the machine elements or without requiring expensive refinishing or replacing of the roll.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved roll structure which is inexpensive to construct and which reduces the finishing costs for providing a roll with a finished outer surface.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiments thereof, as shown in the drawings and described in the specification and claims.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a roll constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing a roll in operation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view;

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic end view illustrating a method of making the roll;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of another form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevational View of the structure of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, a roll 10 is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, having a relatively rigid core '11 which can be a cast cylindrical base having shafts 12 at the ends. The shafts are provided so as to be suitably journalled to support the roll for rotation, and as illustrated, bearings 13 and 14 carry the shafts.

The roll has a plurality of circumferential successive layers 15 of flexible material, such as reinforced paper or plastic, with each layer being in the shape of uniform diameter cylindrical tube and each layer fitting tightly and supported by the layer therebeneath. The successive layers provide a relatively rigid outer portion 22, FIG. 2, mounted on the core 11.

The layers preferably are on the order of 0.01" thick, but a range of thickness of 0.001" to 0205 is a desirable and advantageous range although a thickness of up to 0.150" may be used. The successive layers may be formed of various materials depending upon the required outer surface of the roll. In a roll 25 such as illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein a paper web W fed from a supply S, such as ofi? a supply roll is to be carried, a smooth glassine paper of a smooth plastic paper may be utilized for the layers 15. A polyethylene plastic with embedded webbing of nylon provides a strong wear resistant material. Over a period of use, the outer surface will become abraded, or may become soiled or wetted due to the surrounding environment. When this occurs in rolls heretofore available, it has become necessary to remove the roll and replace it with a new roll or to refinish the outer surface. In either event the replacement was time consuming and expensive. With the present arrangement, it is necessary only to remove the outermost layer whereupon the fresh surface of the layers beneath will be exposed, and this can be accomplished while the roll is in its running location and without disassembly or removal, and with a minimum of shut-down time. FIG. 2 also shows a roll 26 of the present construction utilized in a calendar stack with rolls 27 thereabove and the web fed to a receiving mechanism such as a takeup roll.

In the preferred form for facilitating the removal of the layers, FIGS. 1 and 2, a means defining a tear line, in the form of a strong thread or wire 16 may be in tearing relationship such as being embedded within or beneath each of the layers extending axially to be gripped at the roll end, or a notch or other tear means may be employed. The tear lines 16 are preferably thin and of a strength only sufficient to tear the outer layer. Preferably, they are of a diameter which is less than the thickness of the layer and should be of a resilient material which will flatten and not cause a ridge in the layer. Very thin nylon is well suited to this purpose. In one form each layer is somewhat elastic and under tension with the degree of tension controlling the hardness of the roll.

An advantageous form of method of building the roll is illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein, the rigid center core is shown at 20 and an individual outer layer 21 is shown as being applied. The layer is a plastic having the property of shrinking with the application of heat. In this manner the plastic layer can be chosen of a size just sufficiently large to slide over the core 20 and then as the layer and core simultaneously slowly rotate as indicated by the arrow 23, the layer 21 will shrink onto the outer surface of the core 20 due to the application of heat from the heat source 24.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate another arrangement wherein a core 30 supports a Web of material 31 which is rolled spirally over the core. The web of material 31 is continuous. For removing successive outer layers of the Webbing, tear lines 32 are provided axially across the web so that individual sheets which are substantially of a length to encircle the roll once are defined.

FIG. 6 shows this roll as supporting a traveling web 33. The structure is preferably arranged so that the core is driven in the direction of the arrow 32 so that the sheet tightens itself continuously as the roll is driven.

In addition to use in the manner of FIG. 2, the rolls may be used in paper machines in presses, calendars, backup rolls for coaters and other applications. Because of the interaction of the successive layers placed on the rigid core, a roll of substantial rigidity can be attained. Furthermore, the rigidity can be controlled by selection of the material and, particularly, by selection of the ten sion of each of the layers. As layers are selected with less resiliency and greater tension, the overall rigidity of the roll is increased. A significant advantage in this type of roll is that it can be bent over its length without the application of excessive force. This is particularly useful in web straightening rolls and other guide rolls which have a bow or curvature over the length of the axis, such as rolls known to the industry as Mount Hope rolls.

Material may be selected which has high heat resistance and in this manner, a resilient roll can be obtained having the properties of rubber rolls without the disadvantages. Rubber rolls can easily become abraded and when this occurs, it is necessary to remove them and obtain a complete refinishing. Also material such as polyurethane has been found to have excellent properties for certain web treatment processes, and the present arrangement can use sheets of polyurethane material, which when the outer surface becomes damaged, or soiled, can be immediately refinished by removing the outer layer.

While the roll has been described as being well suited for the paper or textile industry, it is to be understood that the features of the invention may be employed in other fields, such as the food industry.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the V novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A support roll for engaging a surface of a work product wherein the outer layer of the roll may be subjected to deleterious environment, the support roll structure comprising,

an axially extending non-yieldable inner supporting core,

means for rotatably supporting the core for rotation,

and

a plurality of removable thin tubular layers of successively larger circumferences encircling the core and being radially supported thereby along their axial length, with each of said layers tightly wrapped around the next inner layer and the innermost layer wrapped around said core, whereby, said layers present relatively non-yieldable support for the outer layer which is removable independently of the layers therebeneath to present a fresh outer layer for contact with the work product.

2. A support roll structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein, a separate transversely extending means is embedded in tearing relationship to each of the layers so as to define a tear line, said transversely extending means projecting to at least one transverse end of each of the layers to sever the material of the layer when said means is pulled radially outwardly.

3. A roll support structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein the means defining the tear lines in each layer is of a thickness less than the thickness of the layer.

4. A roll support structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the layers is formed of a resilient protective material.

5. A roll support structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein, each of the layers is under circumferential tension.

6. A roll support structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the layers is formed of a plastic having properties of shrinking When subjected to heat, and each of the layers has an initial larger circumference allowing axial mounting onto the core and any other layers on said core and when subjected to heat to be shrunk fitted onto the core and any other layers.

7. A roll structure in accordance in claim 1 wherein each layer is 0.001" thick.

8. A roll structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein each layer has a thickness in the range of 0.001" to 0.150.

9. A roll structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said layers are formed of a continuous length of web material wound spirally outwardly.

10. A roll structure in accordance with claim 9 wherein the web has a plurality of axial tear lines spaced so that the successive layers can be removed from the roll by tearing along said tear lines.

11. A roll support structure for engaging a surface of a work product wherein the outer layer of the roll may be subjected to deleterious environment, a support roll structure comprising,

an axially extending relatively non-yieldable inner supporting core,

means for rotatably supporting the core for rotation,

and

a plurality of removable thin tubular layers formed of a continuous length of plastic web material under circumferential tension wound spirally outwardly to form an outer relatively non-yieldable covering on said inner core, said plastic web material having spaced tear means extending transversely across the web so that successive layers can be removed from the roll by tearing along said tear means and having properties of shrinking when subjected to heat so as to be shrunk fitted onto said core, whereby each of the layers is removable independently of the layer therebeneath to present a fresh outer layer for contact with the work product.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,091,139 3/1914 Jagenberg 20659(F) 2,105,368 1/1938 Parsons. 3,016,137 1/1962 Pollock 20658 3,050,185 8/1962 Crain 206-59(Misc) 3,467,009 9/1969 Ross 29-132X 3,481,805 12/1969 Holmes et al 29132X ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29128; 206-58 

